OECD countries grapple with children's reading and math skills, mental well-being and obesity.

By ITS Education Asia

UNICEF reports that OECD economies are struggling, with Covid most likely to be cause in the unsettling findings.

Key findings from the Report Card

Mental health: In most countries, less than four-fifths of children report being satisfied with their lives. Turkey has the lowest rate of life satisfaction at 53 per cent, followed by Japan and the United Kingdom. Children who have less supportive families and those who are bullied have significantly poorer mental health.

Physical health: Obesity and overweight rates among children have increased in recent years. Around 1 in 3 children across all countries are either obese or overweight, with rates in Southern Europe also sharply increasing. In more than a quarter of rich countries child mortality is still above 1 per 1,000.

Skills: On average 40 per cent of children across all OECD and EU countries do not have basic reading and mathematics skills by age 15. Children in Bulgaria, Romania and Chile are the least proficient in these skills. Estonia, Ireland and Finland are the most proficient. In most countries, at least 1 in 5 children lack confidence in their social skills to make new friends.

Goes to show how every society needs to keep at social improvement regardless of how wealthy they appear to be.

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